Mind and Body

A pill packed with lots of nutrients-a multivitamin-may seem like the perfect shortcut to healthy living. Chances are, though, you're already getting all the vitamins and minerals you need from the foods you eat. So unless you have a nutritional deficiency, multivitamins may not provide much health benefit.

Many Americans realize that obesity is more than a cosmetic concern. A recent poll found that 78 percent knew that obesity can raise the risk for heart disease. Seventy percent recognized a link with diabetes. But what about high blood pressure? Cancer? Arthritis? When asked about obesity’s effects on the body, fewer people mentioned such consequences.

Anyone who has tried to quit smoking knows it can entail herculean efforts. Withdrawal symptoms from nicotine and constant cravings for a cigarette cause many smokers to quit on quitting. Some smokers may be tempted to try electronic cigarettes - or e-cigarettes. They may sound like a healthier option. But these devices may be no safer than traditional cigarettes.

It can be hard to discuss money matters with older family members. Many of us may prefer to avoid such a sticky subject entirely. This reluctance can make it easy to overlook a potentially serious problem: financial abuse. It's a type of elder abuse, which affects more than 5 million older adults each year. And experts believe it's becoming more common.

If you spend a lot of time sitting every day, you may be harming your health, even if you exercise. A recent review of 18 studies with nearly 800,000 participants found a link between sedentary living and overall health.

If you read food labels while you shop for groceries, you may have taken an important step toward maintainging a healthy weight. A new study found that people - especially women - who check food labels at the supermarket are thinner than people who don't.

Folk wisdom links cold hands and feet with a warm heart. But that wisdom also refers to the natural process in which the body slows or reduces circulation to the hands and feet in order to boost blood flow and warmth for the internal organs in response to cold conditions.